Bacterial Contamination
by awesome dt
Summary: "Miku Hatsune, special agent of S.T.A.R.S. The world, as you knew it, has been infected by a bacterium that turns humans into deformed, undead creatures which spread the infection by biting. You can either accompany me to my headquarters and survive or die here stupidly fighting against the undead army." Then she tilted her head and smiled. "The choice is yours."
1. Prologue

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Hey everyone. Awesome D.T. here. I know I've like 3 multi-chapters going on but the idea of this story has been eating my head since weeks. I simply couldn't resist writing-er, typing it. Hope it's not TOO cliché.**

**Reviews are appreciated. And please do tell me if you manage to find out any grammatical errors or typos here and there. If you have any ideas, please do let me know . **

**Before this turns into a blabbering mess, enjoy. (God, how many smileys have I used?)**

**Prologue**

The group of six huddled together, backing up slowly against a worn-out brick wall as the deformed creatures – 'zombies' in teenage words – approached them slowly, making sickening moaning noises. Green, acid-like saliva dripped out of their cavern-like mouths, spreading over black, decaying teeth. Dirty, maroon-blood flowed out of heir pupil-less eyes – which resembled black, sunken holes – in small streams. Their rotting flesh stunk worse than a whole coffin of full of dead rats and the teens had a hard time trying NOT to puke.

_At this rate, _Len thought, pushing the sleeve of his school blazer in front of his nose to block out the revolting stench, _We're gonna get eaten soon!_

And he was right for the zombies approached the teenagers slowly but surely, at a distance of only 15 – no, 14 feet now.

Warm tears began dripping out of Seeu's eyes as she hugged herself tightly, trying not to cry. _You're a student of North Point Academy! _she scolded herself, caressing the crest of her school on the red blazer _Think, Seeu, think! YOU HAVE TO ESCAPE! You're a genius! THINK!_

Kaito gnawed on his lower lip, sweat running down and soaking the sleeveless, blue jersey of his college's basketball team. "They're getting closer" he whispered to Luka, but was appalled when he saw what she was doing. "How can you still video record at a time like this?!"

Luka finally looked up from her camera and matter-of-factly replied "If we survive, we're gonna be heroes and this is gonna be a YouTube hit! Even if we don't, at least people will remember us as legends."

Kaito face palmed. He knew it was futile to argue with a member of the newspaper club.

Rin grabbed her twin brother's shirt, tears finally beginning to stream down those blue orbs. "Len" she whispered in a hopeless voice "Are we gonna die?"

Len turned to stare at her, in time to see the hopeless and despair-filled eyes of his sister. The always energetic and cheerful Rin looked so . . . . so . . . . bleak and ready-to-die-now. "Rin" Len whispered, hugging her tightly. If they were supposed to die, at least they would die together.

"Woah!" Yuuma's voice broke through the troubled conscience of the five others and they looked just in time to see a figure with immensely long teal hair literally fall down from the sky as she raced her way towards them, attempting to break through the zombie horde.

"Is she insane?!" Yuuma exclaimed as everyone's eyes rooted to her figure which held two revolvers in hand. She was approaching them at a lethal, almost inhuman speed as she stretched out her arms, guns in hand and began expertly shooting at the deformed monsters.

Len and the others watched in awe as the young girl fought the numerous horde of zombies single-handedly. However, even with her fatal strength and agility, the zombies just kept on coming and coming. The regained hope slowly started to fade away as they realized she was running out of bullets.

"Shit" Len cursed under her breath. Once empty, the tealette threw her revolvers away and quickly took out two shotguns from her backpack. She began rapidly shooting and kicking at the zombies at a ruthless pace. She was perfectly maneuvering her body to dodge every single bite they offered while managing to land a kick on their faces.

"Who is she?" Rin whispered, unable to take her eyes off the graceful hunter. Luka began videotaping once again.

"More importantly" Kaito asked, a serious expression on his face "What is she?"

The girl, seemingly oblivious to the stares of the gaping teenagers, threw of her empty shotguns as she faced the last zombie. It ran towards with an animalistic roar, its decaying teeth bared as the crowd of teenagers watched with bated breath, fearing for her life. Finally, Len couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed a metal pole and with a loud yell, ran towards the monster.

"LENNY!" Rin screamed hoarsely but he was already out of her reach. Kaito held her back, knowing it was over for the blonde boy. The tealette stared in shock when at him when Len hit the zombie hard on the back of his head. But instead of falling, the monster faced Len and grabbed his collar.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Rin screamed, desperately trying to push Kaito away who held on to her as tightly as she could. Even Luka almost dropped her camera but before it could fall, the safety harness left it hanging off her arm.

Len screamed as the monster grabbed and fell on him but before it could sink its decaying teeth into the boy's soft flesh, the tealette jumped on its back and pulled its head off with inhuman strength.

Len crawled away towards Rin, who was finally out of Kaito's grasp, and hugged his sister tightly, scarred by the horror that he'd just faced. Miku stood silently, staring at the headless body of the zombie and then at her bloody clothes. She walked towards the shivering group and spoke in a cold, metallic voice:

"Miku Hatsune, special agent of S.T.A.R.S. As you all may know, the world has been infected by the apocalypse. I'll tell it straight out. You can either accompany me to my headquarters or die here amidst the deformed, decaying creatures that once you called human. Which option do you prefer?"


	2. Ch 1 - First Cries

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Glad to see so many positive reviews, follows and favorites to my zombie-apocalypse fic! I know these things are too cliché but the temptation to write them is irresistible! Hope you guys always support me like this! **

**To check out the pairings, view my profile. **

**Special thanks to Zhane17 (my awesome hubby-friend-sister!), Meyyu, R.J. Niner, Ushinatta Neko, Porky the King (cool name dude), PastelPixi, Alice in Madland, Guest, Multi-Coloured Lotus and Coolkat 88 for their support! And to all the other readers who are too lazy to review, favorite or follow, thanks for bothering to check my story out. XD**

**Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy!**

**AND WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR! ^_^**

**Ch. 1 – First Cries**

The sun beat down in Saitama, signifying another average day in the bustling prefecture. Kids rode out on their bikes or ran with toast in their mouths, hurrying to get their asses to school. Housewives hurriedly rushed into the kitchen to get breakfast ready and see off their husbands and/or children off to work/school. People followed the same routine they did everyday, trying to beat time in their mundane lives.

But none of them knew that today was gonna be different.

"LENNY!" a piercing scream rang in the Kagamine household from the bedroom of their older twin son thanks to the courtesy of his sister. Rin Kagamine, a 17-year old teenager, jumped up and down on her brother's blanket-clad figure, in an effort to wake him up. Finally, after a trial of two minutes, the male blonde snapped up, an annoyed, 'I'm-gonna-kill-you' expression on his sleepy face.

"Get up, Mr. Banana-king!" Rin shouted, shaking him by his collar until he finally regained the strength to stop her. "We're gonna be late for school, dumbass!"

Len, who had opened his mouth to curse his sister with a string of colorful words, was appalled at the mention of 'School' and jumped – actually fell – out of bed in an attempt to hurry. The already-dressed Rin rushed downstairs, shouting "Five minutes or I'm leaving without you!"

Len scrambled off to his bathroom and started brushing his teeth fiercely; to the point he thought his gums were bleeding. Then with a quick shower and another three minutes of putting on his uniform, he ran down the stairs, tripped on the fifth step and came crashing down the staircase.

Rubbing his head, the blonde groaned as he sat on his usual seat in the kitchen and started poking at the piece of poached egg his mom had placed before him. "Hurry up, dummy" Rin said, sipping her orange juice in a hurry "You'll get us late again."

The blonde muttered some incoherent swear-word under his breath which fortunately for him, did not reach the ears of his parents or sister. Rin, having finished her breakfast, urged her brother to hurry up. "God, you're so slow!" she huffed as his egg-yolk burst and streamed out over the toast "When you gonna be done, tortoise?"

"Rin" her father said sternly, his face hidden behind the newspaper as usual "Let your brother eat in peace."

"Yes, dearie" her mom's voice soared over the noise of clanking dishes "You still have fifteen minutes left." Len stuck his tongue out at her, pleased at the support of his parents. Rin stuck her tongue out farther and eye-rolled.

With the blonde finally done, the twins put on their shoes, shouted "We're off!" and walked towards their destination – or Hell, as Len called it – Futariboshi High School.

"Sissy!" Rin shouted at her brother, an annoyed look on her face "Always being saved by mom and dad."

"Cause I'm much more nicer than you, Ms. Bossy-pants" Len sneered.

"Why you-'' Rin glared at him, a tick-mark on her forehead. Len just continued smirking at her cockily but were interrupted by a soft "Wait!" The twins turned back to see Rin's best friend and class nerd, Tei Sukone, running towards them at an agonizingly slow pace.

Rin waved at her friend while Len whispered "Whose the tortoise?" earning a smack from his sister. When the silver-haired girl finally reached them, she pushed her black-framed glasses up her nose and shyly panted, still out of breath "G-Good morning, Rin-chan, L-Len-kun." While saying the latter's name, a blush formed on her face. However, the ever-dense Rin and uninterested Len failed to notice.

"Good morning, Tei-chan!" Rin greeted energetically and covertly stepped on Len's foot. The blonde uttered a small yelp of pain and hastily muttered "Morning, morning."

Tei's blush deepened when he greeted her. As the three continued walking, Rin decided to strike up a conversation, like always. "Did you see Oprah's show yesterday? My, my, would you believe it! Kesha isn't a natural blonde!"

"Y-Yes" her shy friend joined in, stealing glances at the airheaded Len now and then "I was very shocked when Kesha confessed! I hadn't thought of it in a million years!"

As the two girls blabber faded into the background, Len was, meanwhile thinking about something – or rather, someone – else. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice that he was walking into a pole. "Le-'' SMASH! The blonde fell back on his butt, a thick, red line appearing on his face.

"L-Len-kun!" Tei clamped her hands over her mouth, joining Rin in kneeling beside the unconscious blonde.

"What an idiot" Rin gradually shook her head from side-to-side. However, the all-too-familiar laughter made her look up to see four beautiful but totally devious and grinning High School girls. _Who else but the Devianges, _Rin thought, an annoyed expression on her face.

The Devianges – Devils plus Angels of Futariboshi Academy – were a group of four beautiful but totally mean and stupid girls who couldn't differentiate a soccer ball from a basketball. The only things that occupied their raisin-sized brains were boys, make-up, parties, boys and clothes. And the fact that all of them were daddy's darling daughters didn't help much.

"Awww" Teto Kasane purred, showing fake sympathy for Len and chewing on her favorite bread biscuits "Did the poor boy just run into a pole? You know you should be more careful, Lenny."

"Don't blame him, Teto" Haku smirked, sticking out her big boobs towards the insecure Rin "The guy was just dreaming about Neru, right?" The mention of Neru's name made Len immediately snap his eyes open and sit up. He blushed fifty shades of red when he saw his crush – and her gang – standing in front of him and giggling. Along with other students laughing and surrounding them.

"Were you thinking about me, Len-kun?" Neru whispered seductively, twirling a strand of her dirty blonde hair around her index finger sexily. Rin wanted to gag while Tei was giving death glares to Neru, who failed to notice while basking in her glory. "Well?" Neru brought her face so close to Len that Rin almost vomited and Tei was ready to bitch-slap the blonde.

"I-I . . . . w-well . . . . I . . . I" Len stammered incoherently, his face as red as a tomato. Was this it? Was this the moment Neru was finally going to confess her love for him and kiss him? Such thoughts made Len go into a dizzy and he tried his best to return a cocky smirk, failing gloriously at it.

Neru pulled away and smirking, spoke in her high-pitched, bitchy voice "Too bad I don't like gays." And the whole crowd burst into laughter. Finally, Rin couldn't take it anymore.

"What do you think of yourself, whore?" Rin sputtered, anger flaming in her blue eyes. Everyone gave a dramatic gasp, including Tei who was consoling Len, Teto, Haku and Mayu, the cronies and the Queen of the bitches herself. Len goggled dumbly at Rin.

Neru puffed out her – almost non-existent but bigger than Rin's – chest and screeched "Sad about your manly assets, orange-freak?"

That did it for Rin. With a screech of "You did it, bitch!" the blonde twin threw herself at Neru, kicking and punching the girl in random places. But the mean Queen herself was no child's play and aimed her own strikes and blows at the other blonde. Everyone gathered around the smoke-covered fighting girls, cheering "Catfight! Catfight!"

Len and Tei stared at them worriedly, the silver-haired girl shivering. However, she was also happy with the fact she got to cling to Len. "L-Len-kun" she stammered, giving him the puppy eyes "What do we do now?"

"I don't know" Len replied nonchalantly, his eyes fixed to his fighting sister and crush. He felt kind of annoyed with Tei sticking to his arm but did not voice out his opinion.

Finally, after a somewhat long five minutes, Principal Hiyama came sauntering out. He calmly walked towards the two girls and picking up each one's collar, lifted them up. Everyone, including Neru's cronies, used this time to escape. Only Len and Tei loyally stayed behind for Rin. "Ms. Akita" he glanced at a pouty Neru "and Ms. Kagamine" his eyes travelled to an arms-crossed Rin "Detention after classes today."

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The interior of North Point Private Academy was much different from other schools. Students walked in disciplined silence, murmuring in low voices if they HAD to talk, cultural and exotic paintings adorned the lavender-colored walls and the furniture there was always of the best teak or mahogany. The uniform of North Point was something to boast about as well. Royal red with the school crest in real gold on the blazer, it was striking to look at.

But the best thing about the Academy, without a doubt, was its students. Young gentle-men and graceful little ladies populated the elegant school.

Vice-President of the student council, Seeu Min Ho, a Korean girl, walked daintily towards the President's office, a large stack of papers in hand. Her long, unruly, curly, ash-blonde hair was tied into their usual two plaits and black-framed spectacles adorned her pretty face. She wished both teachers and students who came her way before knocking the large oak doors that habituated the President's room.

A soft "Come in" was heard and Seeu gently pushed the doors open. Once inside, she closed them again before walking towards the President's desk who seemed to be in the process of signing important documents. Once noticing Seeu, Akaito Shion turned to her with his charismatic smile and said "Ah, did you get me the signature papers from all the activity clubs?"

Seeu nodded, placing them before him. "The soccer club needs some new balls" she added, standing straight as a rim-rod, for that was the disciplinary etiquette in North Point "and we need a new net for the Badminton club."

Akaito nodded, inspecting the papers. He muttered an "I see" after Seeu had finished speaking. "All right" he smiled at her again after a while "You may leave now." Seeu nodded and bowed and walked out of the President's room. As she was returning to class, she felt someone close her eyes.

"Guess who is behind you?" a forced hoarse voice demanded, earning a giggle from Seeu.

"You can't fool me, Defoko-san" Seeu said removing her friend's hands and turned back, smiling at her best friend. Defoko gave a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of her head.

As the two best friends walked together to their class, hand-in-hand, Defoko decided to strike up a conversation. "Did you watch the Oprah Winfrey show yesterday? Would you believe it, KESHA ISN'T A NATURAL BLONDE!"

"Yeah, right?" Seeu replied "I was kinda shocked though I'd somewhat suspected it but still, I was surprised."

Defoko sighed and smirked "You probably even suspect your self of not being a natural blonde, don't you?"

Seeu blushed and huffed "I'M NATURAL, missy!" She held up on of her plaits and stroked it. "Wanna try?"

Defoko giggled and said "Nah, I believe-"

She was interrupted by a piercing scream.

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At Iwatobi College, the crowd cheered for their respective teams, screams of "Go, Akusa Tigers!" and "Get 'em, Iwatobi Warriors!" filled the air. This basketball match was the key to the coveted finals against the St. Michael's team, the winners of last year's Basketball championship. With another hoop, the crowd went wild screaming "KAITO! KAITO!" while his proud girlfriend sat in the front row, enjoying the envious stares of the other girls.

Iwatobi Warriors' captain and basketball champ Kaito Shion dribbled his way successfully through the court as he made several successful passes to his teammates. Even though the crowd's piercing screams about him filled the air, he was oblivious to his surroundings, he's eyes only focused on the ball. And the opponent teammates who hovered around it.

_Through the right, then behind Lyon and up, _he mentally noted, sprinting towards the ball. His teammate noticed and passed the ball to the blue warrior – as they'd nicknamed him because of his hair – and Kaito ran towards the hoop. Two burly players from the team stood right in front of him, ready to snatch the ball. However, as soon as Kaito was 2 feet from them, he made a high jump and . . . . SCORE!

"KAITO!" the crowd cheered as the referee added one more score to the Iwatobi Warriors' increasing numbers. Meiko Sakine blew her boyfriend a kiss and he pretended to catch it and embrace it to his heart.

"Luka, we're gonna be out of tape soon!" Prima turned to the Captain of the newspaper club who was desperately clicking photos.

"Go get it from the storeroom!" Luka ordered, her face still behind the camera and continuous flashes exiting the device. Prima gave a quick nod and rushed out the stadium. Luka continued clicking pictures of the match but a sudden scream made her flinch and the whole stadium turned to the doors.

Luka slowly dropped her camera, leaving it hanging by its safety harness. Kaito caught the basketball in his hands as everyone's gazes flitted across the room to the door, from where screams and animalistic groans could be heard.

"What's going on?" someone asked aloud before the door broke, revealing screaming and bleeding students running here and there.

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"Yuuma, man" Rook said, puffing out wisps of marijuana from his pipe "You should really try this shit man. It's awesome."

"Nah" the pink-haired kid waved away, getting on his skateboard "I don't do drugs."

"Your wish" Rook shrugged, puffing out more wisps.

Yuuma got on his skateboard and did a few tricks around the derby where he and his friends used to regularly hang out. His mom had strictly warned him against skipping school but he did not like the 'shithole' one bit. It was infested by delinquents, sluts and the Jeepers Creepers a.k.a the 'Teachers.' Instead, he'd bunk the place and hang out with his hippy friends in the nearby skating derby where they'd chat, skate and have the time of their lives.

After getting a few claps from his buddies, he let Meito take the stage and instead hung back to chat with Rook. "Hey, raven-head" he asked the drug-addict "Why do you do these, man? They're harmful. And besides, Big Al was caught last time by the police."

"Mm" Rook replied, taking in some more of the scent "Don't worry, man. I got nothin' to lose."

"Your mom and sister, man" Yuuma replied, shocked "They're gonna tear down if you're gone."

"Ruko's getting married to some gay hairdresser-guy" Rook replied, his eyes slanting over "And mama's not gonna live much more. Besides, she's shifting in with ma' sis after her marriage."

Yuuma sighed. There was no use arguing with his friend. Before both of them could strike up another topic, however, they saw a young girl with torn clothing running in their direction like a psycho, her left arm almost bitten off and profusely bleeding. "Help!" she screamed in a hoarse voice "They're coming! HELP ME!"

Yuuma got up and held tightly on his skateboard while Rook remained seated, doing nothing except lifting his eyebrows. In the distance, behind the screaming girl, they could hear a horde emitting animalistic groans.

However, what they saw immediately terrified them for life.

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"I seriously have no idea why you like that hoe" Rin remarked angrily as she stomped her way to class, flanked by an anxious Tei and annoyed Len. The blonde girl had got a detention for NO FAULT OF HER'S. She was just protecting her brother from the harassment of a gang of sluts. What was wrong in that? Not to say her brother did not say anything in his defense. At least he and Tei waited for her. Neru's supposed 'friends' ran away as soon as they heard Mr. Hiyama's approaching footsteps. Rin smirked. She'd taken the cake in loyal friends.

"Wish I could answer your question, Rin" Len sighed, his thoughts revolving not-so-surprisingly around Neru. He had no idea why he even remotely liked her. She was a rich bitch, the school's mean Queen and an idealistic bully. However, she was also extremely pretty with a to-die for body.

"Don't know what's Princy's problem though" Rin muttered, crossing her arms over her chest "Can't he see an independent girl protecting a weaker student?"

Len was about to agree when he retorted "What do you mean weaker student?!"

"G-Guys" Tei shyly stammered "Please don't fight."

However, the twins ignored her as they slipped into one of their fighting modes where Rin was muttering "I always protect you, wuss!" and Len would retort "What about the times when I save your ass in front of mom and dad?" and such. The twins continued to fight until Rin asked "Len's such a baby, right Tei?" But when no reply arrived from the bespectacled girl, Rin turned back and anxiously asked "Tei?"

Tei stood on the school balcony, her red eyes widened in horror as her gaze settled on some commotion that went downstairs. Rin, and even Len who felt a spasm of worry go through him, approached the girl and asked "What's wrong, Sukone?"

Tei didn't reply instead just continued staring. The Kagamine twins walked towards the balcony and stared down, squinting to see three floors below. Their mouths hung open in shock as their blue eyes broadened in terror at the scene unfurling before their eyes.

Finally, Len found the courage to speak. "Are those" he asked, blue eyes fixed down "Zombies?!"


	3. Chapter 2 - Rise of the Undead

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Hey guys! 2014's here, isn't it? I hope this will be a good year. 2013 sucked for me. :P How'd your year go?**

**Hope you all have a great new year ahead and enjoy it to the fullest! LIVE IT UP! :)**

**Special thanks to Zhane17, R.J. Niner, Ushinatta Neko, Meyyu, Alice in Madland, Coolkat 88, Porky the King, Pastel Pixi, Guest, Multi-colored Lotus, Pokemon roars, Akatsuki 05 06, Vocaloid Writer and Black White and Superstitious for following/favoriting/reviewing. :) Big thanks to the other readers who're too lazy to review, favorite or follow.**

**Reviews are appreciated. And so is constructive criticism. Enjoy! :)**

**Ch. 2 – Rise of the Undead**

Hurried footsteps echoed throughout the corridor as the trio, flanked by screaming students and moaning zombies, ran as fast as they could to save their lives. Rin and Len the athletes were having no trouble at all but Tei was finding it hard to keep up with them. She was beginning to feel dizzy and it was a mere seconds before she collapsed on the ground due to blurred vision.

Rin, thankfully heard the thud and spun around, eyes widened in horror as they took in the sight of her collapsed friend. "Len!" she screamed, rushing towards Tei at the same time. Len heard her and cursed before running back towards the two girls. The other students continued to run, either not noticing or not bothering to help the trio. Len quickly put the unconscious Tei on his back with Rin's help and they sped off again.

The zombies were closer. Their sickening moans echoed throughout the corridors mixed with the horrified cries of the students.

Len, Rin and the unconscious Tei were the last of the running group. Rin turned to her brother and anxiously inquired "Are you okay? I can carry her-''

"She's as light as a feather" Len smirked at his sister, gesturing towards the faint petite girl. Rin smiled and nodded and continued running. When the male student at the front of the group began speeding down the stairs, his eyes almost popped out in horror before he was pulled down the stairs by approaching zombies. The students who were mindlessly descending were caught by an ascending group of zombies and bitten.

The twins froze for awhile before Rin noticed an empty classroom and pulled the sleeve of Len's blazer. They ran towards the classroom, both the groups of zombies now attacking the twins' previous group of students. After entering, Rin closed and locked the door of the classroom, which turned out to be the science class. Len put Tei on the teacher's chair as the bespectacled girl's head slumped over, her long, silver hair falling all over her face.

Len and Rin slumped to the ground and there was complete silence before Rin finally exploded. "What the f**k was that?!" she screeched though not too loudly.

Len replied in between pants "I wish I could answer you."

Rin shook her head in horror and wrapped her arms around herself. "Oh my God" she mumbled "This is just like High school of the dead."

"Except that all this is real" Len reminded her. The terrifying screams and horrendous moans of the students and zombies echoed into the classroom. Rin violently shivered and Len draped an arm around his sister in an effort to comfort her. Tei stirred but didn't wake up.

An atmosphere of empty silence seemed to have enveloped the room. Rin, finally finding the words to mouth, faced her brother "How are we gonna survive?"

Len stared at her, not knowing what to say. He sighed and leaning his head against the wall, replied "We have to find some way."

A snapping sound interrupted their moment and Rin let out a half-scream before Len cupped her mouth close. Len pointed a finger to his lip and said "Shhhhhhh." Rin nodded and Len let go of his mouth. Tei suddenly got up and asked with wild eyes "Was it a dream?"

The twins almost got cardiac arrest but Len begrudgingly replied "No, it wasn't. You fainted and we brought you here."

Tei's red orbs went blank before she muttered an "I see." Then she walked towards the twins and sat beside Len. She brought her knees to her chest and asked in a tiny voice "What now?"

Len shrugged. "No idea. However, we have to get out of here." He turned to Rin and asked "The groaning noises and screams have stopped. Could you check out?" Rin, who sat staring into space till now with frightened, soulless orbs, jerked violently when Len touched her. "Rin?" he queried anxiously "Are you all right?"

Rin stared at Len before aggressively nodding her head. "Yes, yes, sure" she tried to force a smile as she hurriedly got up and walked to the door.

"Be careful" Len called after her.

Rin turned back and let a small smile form on her tensed face. "Don't worry; I'm not leaving this room." Len nodded and slumped back again. Now it was only him and Tei.

Suddenly, the petite girl said in a small, almost unrecognizable voice "Len?" The blonde boy turned towards her, eyebrows raised in question. A blush was forming and spreading amongst her cheeks. "I always wanted to tell you something" she said in a small voice again, burying her chin into her knees. "I lo-''

"The coast's clear. There's a lot of blood everywhere but not a human – or zombie – in sight" Rin informed expressionlessly, coming back. Len noticed an empty, steely look in her usually bright orbs. The blonde boy decided to ignore it for the time being and instead looked around for some weapon. Finding a dusty staff, he decided to take it just in case.

"Grab a weapon if you find one" he reminded the two girls. Tei remained seated while Rin searched the classroom and decided to satisfy herself with a wooden stick she found near the cupboard. Meanwhile, Len walked over to the bespectacled girl and offered his hand, a comforting smile on his face "We need to leave, Tei. God knows when those zombies are gonna return."

The girl looked up at him through her tearful eyes. Even though holding Len's hand and making him smiling for her were one of her biggest dreams, the situation which led to the event wasn't pretty. Nevertheless, she shyly smiled back and grabbed his hand, her heartbeat increasing as she did so.

Rin smiled at the both of them but it died when she heard familiar, distant moans. "Quick! Let's go!" she shouted and the other two nodded before following the blonde girl, bracing themselves to fight after leaving the classroom.

And this is how the fight for survival began.

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Events weren't better at North Point Academy. Deafening screams and hideous moans filled the once prestigious institution, which was now going towards its ruin as the undead monsters attacked it as well. No one had any idea of how they got in, but their numbers were rapidly increasing as they bit and infected students, teacher and other staff. The clean rooms and corridors were painted red with blood and zombified bodies moved around or slumped against the walls, ready to wake up at any time.

All in all, the situation was pretty chaotic. Students and teachers ran helter-skelter, most of them getting bitten and infected in the process and only a few managing to escape the facility. Some even committed suicide by jumping out of the balconies and terrace in order to not meet a more horrible end. The zombies bit everything that came in their way, increasing the numbers of their kind swiftly.

Two girls hid in one of the sports lockers in the boys' shower room. Even though the smell inside was too disgusting to be described in words, they couldn't help but stare out as they saw the horrid creatures biting and transforming the students that came inside, who probably thought that the shower was safe to hide in.

Beads of sweat continuously trickled down Seeu's forehead and other parts of body, completely drenching her red uniform. Beside her, Defoko stood with her hands clumped tightly over her mouth, trying hard _not _to scream. The ash blonde being the braver of the two had decided to stand guard and watch the goings outside.

The bespectacled girl's eyes were permanently widened in horror and terror as she stared outside, watching the hideous creatures bite, infect and transform her fellow schoolmates into beings like them. _They're fictional creatures!, _her reasonable side screamed at her, _This is all a dream! Wake up, Seeu! Wake up!_

Seeu didn't believe in pinching oneself to confirm that the events going on were a dream. She'd always thought that only incredibly foolish and superstitious people believed in the fact. How could you think you were dreaming when everything seemed so real? Dreams had their own aura and atmosphere which differentiated them from reality and made them fictional. However, right now, she ditched all of her theories and went ahead and did the 'foolish and superstitious deed.'

The result was a small yelp and a mental slap she offered to herself, before clamping her mouth shut. Defoko pulled on her friend's sleeve to confirm her safety, since talking was too risky now with zombies just 10 feet in their vicinity. Seeu offered a tensed, not-so-reassuring smile and nodded her head.

The girls checked their watch every few minutes, staying mum, still and squashed in the tiny locker as horrifying creatures devoured their schoolmates right outside their steel hideout. They were lucky that Seeu had been farsighted enough to drag them in the cramped closet as soon as she'd heard the screams and moans and had a glimpse of the creatures. And not to mention the fact that the zombies – probably – depended on sound and movement and were coming nowhere near the lockers.

They'd been in there for a good 40 minutes when, finally, the zombies decided to walk away and left the shower. Any claustrophobic person would've been dead by now but thankfully they were okay. After a good 15 minutes of their departure, Seeu slowly opened the door of the locker, flinching as it made a creaking noise. However, sensing no zombies near, she quietly stepped out and Defoko followed.

Led by the blonde, the two teenage girls tiptoed against the room, trying to ignore the blood-stained walls and floor. Right now, they needed no distractions and fortunately North Point Academy had left a good imprint on their focusing skills. Seeu peeked outside the shower, only to be greeted by a sight of blood all over the corridor. There were still a few zombies trudging here and there but were too far away to notice them.

Seeu and Defoko tried to run as silently as they could, not to attract attention. The fact that they were on the ground floor was good for them as they could escape more easily. They were now out of the huge building and in the lawn, regaining their lost hope. The school gates were in sight, nearing every step they took. A huge grin formed on Defoko's face as she screamed "We're safe!"

And that was the fatal mistake she made.

Even from the distance, the undead had heard her voice and began approaching the girls, who'd been too happy to notice their presence in the huge school lawn. Seeu and Defoko's eyes widened as they started running faster. However, none of them were athletes and the zombies were closing in on them, groaning noises emitting from their black, bleeding, cavern-like mouths.

"We're almost there!" Seeu shouted to encourage her friend, who was slowing down. Even the blonde girl felt her lungs would burst any second now but she forced her un-exercised legs to run. She _had _toand she _would_ survive.

The gates were close now, only 30 meters away. Seeu found a new burst of energy as her legs increased their speed, arms flailing as the metal structures neared closer and closer. And with an extra burst, she'd reached her destination. The blonde girl pumped her fist into the air and turned around to hug her friend. Only to find her not by her side.

Defoko lay almost 20 meters away, panting and breathing hard. Even though Seeu didn't want to admit, she knew the girl had no hope. The dark-haired teenager had wrapped her arms around herself, tears quietly streaming down her face as she waited for her end, the zombies dangerously near her. One was just 5 feet away from her.

Seeu's reasonable side had always warned her against doing anything reckless, stupid, unreasonable. And she'd always obeyed it in the hopes of getting a positive result for her actions. But when she saw the zombie grab her friend's arm, her reason left her and she snapped out of her frozen state.

"DEFOKO!" the girl screamed as the zombie bit her friend, creating a sickening, crunching noise which mixed with Defoko's piercing scream to stuff an electric shock down Seeu's spine. She'd only sprinted a few steps when a strong hold grabbed her wrist. Terrified, she turned around with tear-filled eyes only for her gaze to meet a couple of calm, cold, _human _eyes.

"She's done for" the pink-haired boy spoke in a cold, experienced voice, as if he'd experienced the pain of losing a loved one. Seeu stared at him, her mouth agape and mechanically turned to look at Defoko, who was currently being chewed on by the zombies. The screams she emitted mixed with the animalistic groans of the hideous monsters that had surrounded her.

Crying into a stranger's arms was something the normal Seeu would've scoffed at, thinking it was too dramatic and movie-like. But as mentioned before, her reason had left her as she burst into tears into the pink-haired boy's arms, who after a moment of hesitation wrapped his arms around her frail figure. However, her crying was attracting the zombies who had slowly started to make their way towards the pair.

"Let's go" Yuuma told the bespectacled blonde girl who was crying in his arms, as gently as he could "The zombies are coming towards us. And I don't think you wanna be their food."

Seeu immediately snapped back to reality and pulled away from him, finally realizing the fact that she'd been hugging him all this time. Then with a small blush she nodded and ran after the pink-haired stranger who'd just comforted her. But not before glancing at a zombified Defoko who stared after her intently.

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Kaito hit the zombie in the face with his basketball before moving over to kick the other one who was behind him. He had no idea what were zombies doing in Iwatobi College, not to mention the basketball auditorium or how they'd been created. He'd watched lots of movies and anime like Resident Evil and High school of the dead but all of this in real life was hundred times scarier.

He rushed through the corridor with Meiko beside him, who'd thrown her stilettos somewhere for the sake of running. He held onto her arm tightly and flashed her one of his gorgeous smiles but both of them knew how half-hearted it was.

The basketball game had been stopped short when there were noises coming out from the hallway. And the next thing they knew, the door had burst open revealing bloody and screaming students and those fictional zombies right beside them. And the whole area had succumbed to chaos.

First it had been the students, screaming and shouting as they ran around helter-skelter. Then the teachers who soon followed the footsteps of their students. A large horde of zombies had just entered the basketball arena, intent on increasing their numbers. Kaito and many others had bravely fought back but had been overwhelmed by their numbers. So they had grabbed their chance to escape when they could.

Kaito felt heartbroken to leave his friends behind but he knew the larger the number, the more difficult to maneuver them to safety. This was a time to listen to one's reasonable side, not emotional. Nonetheless, he wasn't gonna let Meiko get bitten and swore to protect and stay by her side, no matter the consequences.

Amidst the people who were running with them, Kaito easily noticed Luka Megurine, an enthusiastic member of the newspaper club who was always pestering him for photographs and articles for the paper. Her long, pink hair swished up and down as she ran and Kaito had to agree she was a fast runner.

His train of thought was interrupted when he felt Meiko lightly squeeze his hand. "Kaito" she whispered in a broken voice, tears threatening to spill out of her kohl-lined eyes "What are we gonna do now?"

Kaito stared at her before murmuring "Survive." Right now, they had no time to talk. Only run if they wanted to live. Meiko seemed to have got the meaning of his words and nodded before continuing running.

The college hallways seemed to be endless as the group ran, not stopping for breath even for a second. Kaito limbs were starting to ache and he could sense Meiko slowing down. Looking over his shoulders, he saw zombies were coming out of the classrooms and piling into the hallways in large numbers. He could not even imagine the scene inside the classes. _If only we can outrun them._

Suddenly, Meiko stopped short, placing her hands on her knees as she panted heavily. Kaito stopped as well and watched as the others continued jogging away, Luka glancing at them for a split second before running off. Sweat trickled down Meiko's brown bob, soaking her dangerously low A-line dress. "Kaito" she panted, her tongue sticking out "I can't run anymore." Her kohl had smudged all over her eyes and her blood-red lipstick was a mess.

"Catch your breath" the raven-haired boy assured the girl, his gaze becoming worried when he saw the approaching horde. Nonetheless, he cracked an awkward smile at his girlfriend and said "Take your time babe. They're far away."

Meiko smiled back and replied "You can't fool me, honey." Kaito's smile faltered. Meiko had been good at catching him whenever he lied since high school. Despite the differences between them, they were attracted to each other like magnets and had sworn to say by the other's side till death. Which was more importantly why he was gonna protect her. After a few seconds, Meiko stood up straight, her hands on her hips and muttered "Let's go."

"You sure?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. He knew Meiko was not an athlete and by the look on her face could tell she had stomach cramps.

She smiled flirtatiously at him and remarked "If you beat me to the school gates, I'll have a surprise for you later on."

Kaito chuckled lightly, despite the imminent danger that surrounded them. "Fine, babe; you're on."

As the two lovers ran through the hallways, Kaito knew it was hopeless to hope for survival. Each classroom they crossed produced more zombies who were getting closer and closer by the passing second. He desperately prayed to God to let them survive and made a vow to protect Meiko, even at the cost of his life.

As Kaito pushed open through the glass doors of the College, he could see the huge metal gates in the distance and could not help cheering mentally. Also, Meiko was beside him and she offered him a loving smile which gave Kaito extra energy and strengthened his will to survive. _We can do this, _he cheered himself, _we can survive._

However, as every good thing is supplemented by something bad, the groans of the zombies made Kaito realize how close they were. _Just a few more meters, _he reminded himself.

Up ahead, Luka Megurine leaned on the gate, waiting for Kaito Shion and Meiko Sakine to come by. She'd kept her camera by her side since it was her best friend and was eager to catch all this zombie mash. Staring into the distance, she noticed Kaito and Meiko running towards her and behind them, a gigantic horde on the undead.

Luka's face immediately lit up and she straightened. She had no idea why she waited for those two but they were the only people who actually talked to her except Prima and her club mates. Finally, Kaito reached and flashed her one of his trademark smiles "Thanks for waiting, Megurine." He then turned around and watched as Meiko neared them, smiling.

"Kaito" she neared him and pushed him on the ground as Luka stared at her in shock. Then walking inside the school, she closed the gates and locked them, all while smiling "I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to give your gift." Kaito snapped out from his frozen state and ran towards the locked gates, banging on them. Meiko blew him a kiss and whispered "I love you babe."

And those were the final words she uttered before being devoured by the zombies inside the college campus.

"MEIKOOOOOOOOOOO!"


	4. Chapter 3 - Survival

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Oh wow. Only three chapters and 17 reviews already? I love you guys. :D I can't believe the Meiko scene was so emotional. I'm glad I could intensify it. And when you guys told me you cried, I just HAD to read that part and I ended up crying too. QwQ**

**Special thanks to Zhane 17, R.J. Niner, Meyyu, Alice in Madland, Vocaloid Writer, Ushinatta Neko, Coolkat 88 , Pastel Pixi, 21 Forever N Always, Porky the King, Multicolored Lotus, Black White and Superstitious, Pokemon Roars, Akatsuki 05 06, Aqua lace, Kate-chan 418 and Hana Loid for their unconditional support. The readers who haven't reviewed/favorite/followed, thanks to you guys too for checking my story out. :D**

**Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy! :)**

**Ch. 3 – Survival**

The sound of footsteps echoed on the tiled floor as three teenagers ran across, breathes puffing out and legs aching. Len was in the lead with Rin closely following behind while Tei was still a few paces behind. The silver-haired girl was getting stomach cramps but did not stop – knowing if she did, she'd soon be zombie feed.

Behind them, a horde of the undead followed, emitting their animalistic groans as they wobbled. The teens ran down the staircase, weapons raised to smash any undead head that came their way. They were on the first floor now but before they could reach the ground floor, Len saw a group of zombies ascending the staircase.

"What now?!" Rin panicked, blue eyes wild with fright. Tei was shivering violently while backing away and the groan of the zombies descending from above reminded them that they were in a do or die situation.

Len, taking role as the leader of the group, began scanning around, looking for anything that might be useful for them. Spotting his geography class, he remembered that it had a window with a ledge below it and he shouted "There!" while pointing with his index finger towards the room.

The zombies were getting closer and both hordes were only a few steps away from the group. Rin and Tei ran after the blonde boy, the latter's stomach cramps worsening by the minute. Len slammed open the door of the classroom, staff in hand and walked towards the closed window. He inwardly smiled as he reached over to open the lock.

However, it was jammed.

"Open the goddamn window, dammit!" Rin cursed, walking over to her brother. Thankfully, she'd locked the door but the teens knew the zombies could break it down in no time.

Len gritted his teeth, pulling on the lock until it pierced his skin. "Its f**king locked!" he cursed, warming his cut finger with his saliva.

Rin pulled on the window door violently for a few minutes before sliding down the wall in hopelessness, head buried in her knees. "We'll never make it out alive" she whimpered, broke. Tei sat near her friend, enveloping a thin arm around the blonde girl, silent tears rolling down her pale cheeks.

_There HAS to be some way! _The male blonde thought, gripping his hair in anger, blue eyes roaming searchingly around the room _There has to be some f**king way! _The moans were closer now, sounding as if they were coming from right outside the door. Suddenly, Len noticed the staff in his hands.

"Rin, Tei" he turned towards the two cowering girls, who stared at him with their lifeless orbs "Help me." And with that, Len smashed the window till it crumbled into a million little pieces of glass. Rin nodded and using her stick accompanied her brother. Tei only watched as the two twins smashed at the windows. The thud of the zombies at the door brought her back to reality.

Feeling useful for once, the bespectacled student pushed a desk towards the door, in order to obstruct the zombies even for a few seconds if they managed to break through. As the steel structure made an unpleasant, screeching noise on the tiled floor, the twins glanced at their friend only for a second before returning to their work.

After the desk was aligned against the thumping door, Tei quickly put more desks and chairs on top of it, working as hard as she could. Her desire to survive was strong-willed and she was gonna see to that since she was gonna marry Len-kun in the future.

However, the door was making dangerous cracking noises and seemed to fall down from its hinges at any time now. Tei bit her index finger, urging her friends to hurry. Sweat ran down Rin and Len's neck, drenching their uniform but they kept smashing at the window until the hole in it was big enough to accommodate them.

Suddenly, with a loud burst, the door flew of its hinges, toppling all the desks and chairs in the process. "Go!" Len shouted over Tei's screaming voice and Rin jumped, dropping on the ledge on all fours. The broken glass had left cuts and bruises over her limbs but right now, it was of no concern for her. Tei hesitated but jumped when the zombies came in, slowed down by the toppled furniture.

Just as they were halfway of the classroom, Len jumped down on the ledge as well, hissing as the glass cut him. The ledge was still pretty high up from the ground and Len knew they'd break their legs if they jumped. Thankfully, Tei spotted a water pipe. "Uhm, guys?" she asked in her small voice "Could we use that?" Her slim, pale index finger pointed at the structure.

"Good thinking, Tei!" Rin grinned at her bestie, making the girl shyly smile in return.

"Let's go!" Len said, walking towards the pipe. The ledge was a bit narrow so they had to be careful. The trio heard the zombies approaching the window and one of them jumped, lost his balance and fell to the ground, dead. The three teens stared in horror as black blood poured out of its decaying body.

However, Len was the first one to snap out of it when he eyed the other zombies jumping and some successfully landing on the ledge. "Guys, we've to hurry" he said, leading the way with Rin and Tei following close behind.

Len put one of his feet on a protrusion coming out of the green cement walls, desperately praying to God to not let it break. Then, slowly, he brought his other foot to the pipe, wrapping it around the metal structure. "Len, hurry up!" Rin shouted, staring behind her "They're coming closer!"

"This is scary all right?!" he angrily retorted though a part of him reasoned that Rin was right. Taking a deep breath, Len let go of his leg's hold on the protrusion and slid down the pipe. He managed to land on his two legs and shouted towards the other two girls "Hurry!"

Rin let go of Tei, assuring her "I'll be waiting down to hold you." And with that, the blonde girl too slid down the pipe, managing to land on her legs. Maybe her athletics training helped her.

Len gave a short hug to his sister but their joy was short-lived when they realized Tei was still up there. And the zombies were only a few feet away from her. "Tei!" Rin screamed "Slide down!"

Tei stood quivering on the edge, fear having paralyzed her. The groans of the zombies were horrifyingly close to her and it was now or never. However, she could not move. Staring down at the screaming Kagamine twins, her fear only exaggerated the height, making it appear as if she was on the tower of Pisa and not on a ledge only ten meters above the ground level.

"SLIDE DOWN, TEI!" Rin screamed at the top of her voice. Only a few steps and zombies would grab hold of the bespectacled girl.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER, SUKONE?!" Len yelled, waving frantically at her. "JUST SLIDE DOWN!"

"I can't!" Tei screamed, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I can't . . . . ." her voice trailed off. Tei hated heights. She had a phobia of them.

Too bad her friends didn't know.

"TEIIIIIIIIIIII!" Rin screamed, when a zombie grabbed hold of the silver-haired girl.

"Dammit Tei, kick it!" Len yelled, making kicking motions with his feet. _Tei? _The word registered in the girl's mind. _Len-kun . . . . . used my first name?! _And she felt happy despite being in the arms of death.

"No, Tei!" Rin was crying now, tears flowing down her cheeks in unrestrained rivulets. Len stared at the bespectacled girl with widened eyes, all hope lost. Tei offered a last smile to her friends.

"Len-kun, I lov-''

And then she was bitten.

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The two teens rushed through the zombie infested city, hand in hand. Yuuma only turned to glance at the blonde girl beside him once, before turning his attention to the screaming throng of people who were being devoured by zombies. He'd been escaping from the undead horde when he'd chanced upon her. She was rushing towards the zombies.

At first, Yuuma had thought the girl had gone cuckoo. Which sane person would run in the direction of zombies anyway? But a closer look had told him that she was actually running towards her friend. Or what remained of her friend.

Yuuma flinched as Rook's face came into his mind. They'd been separated in the large crowd they'd encountered at the main town square and after that, the pink-haired boy had continued running towards a random direction. It'd occurred to him that he may never see Rook again but the boy had himself told the pinkette "Even if I get bitten or separated, run like a motherf**ker."

So Yuuma ran, ran and continued running. The people surrounding him and blondie were thrashing about violently, some bitten and some healthy, some crashing into the duo and some hindering their way. However, his grip on the bespectacled blonde was tight; he was not gonna lose someone else. Even if he didn't even know her name yet.

On the other hand Seeu felt tired and completely drained of oxygen. Her throat felt like the Sahara desert in summer, her stomach cramps seemed to be killing her slowly and the pain in her legs were . . . . . oh, just too excruciating for words. She hadn't run this much even on marathon day.

However, the street was getting more and more congested with people flailing about here and there violently. She felt suffocated; the only thing that kept her running was the pink-haired boy's tight grip on her hand.

Suddenly, the people started screaming and running in the opposite direction. Yuuma stopped as people thrashed into him and blondie, almost breaking their grip on each other. However, he managed to pull her into his arms in time and tightly held on, afraid to lose her.

Seeu immediately blushed as she dug her head deeper into the boy's shoulder. She'd never been into such close contact with a boy. His arms were wrapped firmly around her thin figure and he only let go after the number of people who were cursing their heads off, decreased.

"What the f**k was that?!" he asked, staring after the running mob. Seeu glared at him for using a swear word. She did not support them. However, she could not blame the guy. In moments of panic, properly uneducated people indulged in sinful activities.

However, before she could continue her mental rant, an animalistic roar snapped her out of her trance. Gradually, the two teens turned to face the sound, only to be met with a huge, zombified figure, about 3 meters tall about 500 meters away, walking towards them with a huge machete in hand.

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In Karen'na Hana primary school, things were no better. The outbreak had infected 98% of the school population while the rest were trying to escape. However, it was getting increasingly difficult to do so, seeing as the cute children and friendly teachers were now nothing more than soulless, hideous-looking flesh-eaters.

9-year old Yuki Kaai sat in class, staring out of the window, the door of the classroom barred. She was extremely calm and silent for a third grader stuck in the middle of a zombie plague – but then again, she was always a precociously matured and intelligent girl for her age. Her face was propped up with both her hands and she remained quiet, not to attract the attention of any zombies outside the class.

However, it'd been 20 minutes already and her guardian wasn't here. Yuki was starting to get worried and glancing at her watch every few minutes. Impatience was an unusual emotion for her but the occurrence of the outbreak was not a minor problem.

_Did something go wrong? _She thought, lying her head down on her arms. _I though Miki said the virus was safely contained. It must've escaped. But how?_

Suddenly, there was a tap on the window which made the brunette snap out of her reverie. She looked up only to see her guardian's full-fledged figure outside, standing on the ledge. Yuki got down from her seat and walking towards the window, opened the latch.

The figure jumped inside and stretched her limbs, exhausted from her journey. Yuki noticed she had a few blood splatters on her black bodysuit and hair but realized it was zombie blood, due to its dark crimson, almost black shade. Teal eyes washed over Yuki's figure and pale pink lips formed into a soft smile. "Still as calm as ever. You're alright, yes?"

Yuki nodded, smiling at her guardian. "Yes, and looked like you gave few of the undead a good thrashing."

"You wouldn't believe how many there are" the figure said, collapsing onto a chair. "More than half the city's population has been infected."

Yuki's smile dropped as her expression turned poker. "How did it escape?" the young girl asked in a quiet voice.

"One of the test specimens somehow escaped and made its way to the city. It must've bitten someone and spread the infection" the older female replied.

"But _how?" _Yuki pressed on in her calm voice "_How _did it escape?"

Her guardian answered "I don't know." There was silence for a moment between the two before dull thuds and groans were heard outside the classroom door. "We must leave now" the older girl replied, teal eyes narrowed in disgust.

Yuki nodded as she walked over to her guardian, who scooped up the brunette girl in her arms like she weighed nothing. Then, glancing at the door one last time, the female jumped out the window, her long, teal hair fluttering gracefully in the wind.

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Seeu and Yuuma were hooked onto the ground, unable to move or comprehend what was happening. However, the bespectacled girl regained her senses and pulling on the boy's arm, shouted "We have to move! NOW!"

Yuuma snapped back into reality, blue eyes wide. He gave an abrupt nod and ran, the blonde's hand tightly clasped in his. So that's what was the people were running away from. The creature behind them uttered a monstrous scream, picking up its pace to reach the two youngsters. Yuuma glanced back, only to be terrified at what he saw. The creature had raised its machete and though still quite distant, it was gaining on them. "What the f**k is that thing?" he asked the girl next to him.

"I don't know!" Seeu shouted, panting. Her muscles were aching terribly now.

Yuuma shook his head and suddenly remembered that he had his skateboard with him. However, he could not leave blondie behind. So, he suddenly picked up the bespectacled girl in his arms and getting on his skateboard, gave it a push.

Seeu was completely shocked but looking backwards noticed how close the monster was too them, only about 200 meters away. She held on tightly to the pink-haired boy, afraid he'd drop her. However, he seemed to be an expert at skating and easily kept his balance, swerving at every corner with her still in his arms.

"How far is the monster?" Yuuma asked; eyes focused on the road.

Seeu peeked behind and gave a sigh of relief, only to notice it was getting farther and farther. "Great!" she smiled "We can lose him if you keep going at this speed!"

Yuuma grinned and increased his speed. "Don't worry, Miss" he said, somewhat proudly "You're with the Champion of the Derby Tournament."

"Seeu" the absence of zombies seemed to have paved the way for introductions "Seeu Min Ho."

Yuuma raised a brow. "Chinese?"

Seeu gave a short glare before shaking her head "Korean."

"Oh" was all the boy said in return. After a while, he stated "Yuuma Kurosaki."

Seeu nodded and went into silent mode again. Looking back, she realized the monster was nowhere in sight and thought they'd lost it for good. Turning towards Yuuma, she said "I think you can stop now."

Yuuma glanced behind him before muttering a "Right." He put Seeu to the ground and kicked up his skateboard, only to expertly catch it in his hand. Looking around, he asked "Any idea where we are?"

Seeu scanned the area, seeing new buildings and a coffee shop near them. The area was completely deserted except for a few normal pigeons here and there. "I don't know."

She noticed Yuuma looking at the coffee shop and he turned to her "I could do with something to eat."

The blonde girl nodded hesitantly. "Me too" she replied.

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"L-Len" Rin panted, falling to the ground behind her brother "I can't run anymore." Len stopped and walked back to his sister. He could hear police sirens everywhere but there wasn't a soul in sight. Smoke was emitting from some houses and the police sirens were soon replaced by the familiar zombie groans. Len whooshed Rin into the air, carrying her on his back and continued running.

"LEN!" Rin shouted with shock but decided to remain silent. The blonde boy was starting to breathe heavily now, still not quite over the shock of this whole plague. And seeing Tei being bitten by zombies didn't help either.

It'd been tough for him to convince Rin to get up and run but he knew it wasn't her fault. Tei was a very good friend to her and seeing your best friend being bitten just like that . . . . . the thought was scary. Suddenly, memories of an orange-haired boy flashed in his mind.

"I wonder how Lui's doing" he muttered and Rin snapped out of her reverie. Lui was one of Len's only friends but sadly, they hadn't met him today. Usually, he'd be waiting for them outside the school gate but today, there'd been no sign of him.

"I'm sure he's alright" Rin smiled, even though she knew Len couldn't see her face. She could hear his breath shortening and a spasm of guilt filled the female. She didn't want to be a burden. "Len, put me down. I can run now" she said, tapping the blonde.

"Its fine" the blonde replied, out of breath. "I can carry you."

Rin jumped down and ran beside a momentarily confused Len. "I'm not a weakling, banana king" she stuck her tongue out at him, gaining speed.

Len smirked back, pleased to see a part of his sister return. "Neither am I, orange geek."

And the siblings smiled at each other, before continuing their mad dash.


	5. Chapter 4 - United We Stand

**~ Author's Note ~**

**If any of you guys are curious about my upcoming projects, you can have sneak peeks of them in my profile. Also, if interested, you can take part in the poll there.**

**Special thanks to Zhane 17, R.J. Niner, Meyyu, Alice in Madland, Vocaloid Writer, Ushinatta Neko, Coolkat 88 , Pastel Pixi, 21 Forever N Always, Porky the King, Multicolored Lotus, Black White and Superstitious, Pokemon Roars, Akatsuki 05 06, Aqua lace, Hana Loid, Crimson Sky Tamer, Imaginary Flower and Dark Irina for their unconditional support. Big thanks to the anonymous readers as well. :D**

**Reviews are loved (unconditionally!) Sit back and enjoy the horror fest! XD**

**Ch. 4 – United We Stand**

"Kaito" Luka said softly, hoping the star basketball player would snap out of his trance "We have to move. NOW." However, the boy didn't budge from his stand on the ground, gripping on the gates with both his hands. His knuckles were pure white and his eyes were blank; on the other side, a zombified Meiko was uttering those horrible groans, clawing at the gates.

"Kaito . . . . . please" Luka whispered, pulling on his arm. Tears were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as she furiously wiped away at them, reminding herself to stay strong. She couldn't break down crying when the blue-haired man was in such a state.

Kaito, on the other hand, had frozen. He uttered no sound except for his shallow breathing. He made no movement except the gradual rise and fall of his chest. Scanning around, Luka saw no one except a few healthy-looking pigeons. Besides, their college stood in a pretty deserted area.

The zombies on the other side had begun departing, going back inside the college for fresh meat. But there were a few others who were pushing and clawing at the gates, Meiko – or what was left of her – being one of them.

Despite being calm on the outside, inner Luka was desperately panicking. _Okay, okay calm down. You can handle this Luka. Just pull him away slowly – _a hideous and horrifying roar startled her out of her wits. Uttering a small yelp, Luka quickly put her hands over her mouth. The pigeons all flew away and some of the zombies, attracted by the noise, were walking towards the gate again.

And how did Kaito react? He just blinked.

"What the f**k was that noise?!" she asked aloud though fully aware of the fact she'd get no answer. She didn't see any human – or any zombie – outside yet, but knew the undead were gonna arrive and devour them soon, if they didn't move.

"Hey, what're you doing there?!" Luka heard someone shout, almost jumping into the air. Turning back, she saw a pair of teenagers running towards her, both with blonde hair and blue eyes. Looking carefully, she noticed they were probably siblings and high school students, with crumpled but cleaner-than-her uniforms.

Both of them were out of breath as they rushed towards the pinkette, their gaze shifting towards Kaito. The boy asked "What's wrong with that guy?"

"We gotta move!" the girl shouted "Hurry!"

Luka, regaining her calm composure, answered "My friend is quiet in a trauma due to his . . . . er . . . ." the two stared at her curiously when she stuttered "his . . . . . . girlfriend getting bitten by one of _them_."

At that, both of them widened their eyes. The male asked "H-His girlfriend?"

"That's . . . . I'm sorry" the female said.

Luka decided to smile and introduce herself to them, to reduce some of the tension. "By the way, I'm Luka Megurine" she said, offering a hand to the two.

The female was the first to grab it. "R-Rin Kagamine" she stuttered, eyes still hooked onto Kaito "And this is my twin, Len." Len acknowledged it with a nod. The three of them stared at the ground awkwardly before noticing a new horde of zombies round the corner.

"Sh*t!" Len cursed. Turning to Luka, he said "We have to go! Get that dude away from there!"

Luka nodded and running towards the blue-haired teen, she pulled on his arm "Kaito, we gotta run! Zombies! LOTS OF THEM!" However, it seemed her shouts fell on deaf ears. The 20-year old did not even glance at her, his eyes only trained on his ex. "KAITO!" Luka screamed, now on the verge of tears "We don't have time for this!" Her voice was breaking "JUST LET GO!"

Meanwhile, Len stared at the two college students, panicking. More and more zombies were coming out of nowhere and if they didn't hurry up and runaway, they'd soon turn into one. Much as he wanted to sneak off with Rin, he felt guilty for leaving the other two behind.

Turning to Rin to ask her about their plans, he was surprised to see her not in her usual spot beside him. "Rin?" he asked, turning his head in front of him.

Rin stood near a crying Luka and frozen Kaito, her blue eyes flaming in anger. Taking a deep breath, Len realized too late what she was about to do. In a blink of an eye, before anyone could stop the blonde girl, her hand was across Kaito's cheek.

The echo of the slap reverberated in the air, as Len and Luka looked at the scene, blue eyes almost popping out in shock. Kaito's hand automatically flew to his cheek, where the petite girl had left a burning red mark.

"Listen" Rin spoke, voice dripping with anger "I know you probably think I'm a b***h for slapping you and I'm in no place to say this but still listen. For whatever reason your ex-girlfriend died, I'm sure she wouldn't be happy for you to meet the same fate and turn into one of those hideous monsters. I know you blame yourself for not saving her, like I did for not being able to save my best friend; but what's happened has happened and if you wanna repent for what you did, then there's only one way to do that and that is to stay alive so that your ex knows that she still has something to smile about in heaven."

The zombies were very close now and pulling Rin, Len yelled "Run!" to the other two. Fortunately, Kaito seemed to have been pulled out of his coma for now he ran as well, with Luka flagging behind. The pinkette was kinda inspired with the female twin's words as a smile crossed her face when she thought about it.

Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for survival.

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In a small coffee shop in East Saitama, two teenagers sat in the deserted building, the seriousness of the situation weighing upon them. In front of Seeu lay an untouched black forest pastry and a cup of coffee while Yuuma was helping himself to some lemonade and cream pie. His eyes would occasionally dart over to his female companion who hadn't spoken since they'd arrived at the shop.

Finally, he could contain his curiosity no more. "Is something wrong?" he asked, blue eyes softening in irrepressible concern.

Seeu gradually looked up, small droplets of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Everything" she murmured in a ghost of a whisper.

Yuuma let a tired sigh escape from his lips as he slouched in the plush seat. "I know you're really tensed about this whole ordeal" he said "And so am I. But the only thing we can do now is run and try to survive."

Seeu nodded as she let the words sink in, putting her head in the comfort of her arms. Yuuma could only stare as she emitted muffled sobs probably missing her friends or family or normal life. He wasn't really the consoling-type and he decided to let her take her time to get adapted to all this.

Finally, after what seemed like five minutes, Seeu stood up and wiped her eyes. The pinkette noticed how pretty her eyes really were once those huge glasses were off. Unfortunately, she soon put the dorky things back on. Clearing her throat, as in a military announcement, the blonde announced "We need to find some weapons."

"Weapons?" the boy asked, sipping on some lemonade "You mean to fight the zombies?"

The girl nodded confidently "Yeah. If we're gonna survive in this zombie plague, we need to get prepared. The basic necessities would be safe drinking water, food, first aid, weapons and a safe place to say. I'll try to rummage some water and food while you go and search for weapons."

Yuuma nodded and finishing the last bite of his cream pie, got up and walked towards the door. Peeking out, he noticed that the whole area was kinda empty except for pigeons and crows. At the mention of the latter, a frown settled on his face. In _Resident Evil: Extinction, _Alice and her crew had been attacked by zombie crows. He certainly didn't want a repeat of that here.

As he was about to step out, Seeu called from behind. "Yuuma" she said, slight cracks in her voice. The pinkette turned back, a bit surprised but pleased when she used his name. "Remember, the zombies are only attracted by sound and movement" she informed, blue eyes glowing seriously "They can't see or smell."

"I'll remember that" he nodded and set out again.

"Be careful" she whispered after him but wasn't sure if he heard or not.

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"There must be at least thirty out there" Luka whispered, peeking out from behind the car. The four teens were presently in an apartment complex garage, hiding behind a jeep, furtively watching the undead that crowded the place. The zombies, with their mouths wide open and sickening groans, limped about randomly.

"What now?" Rin turned towards Len.

Len shrugged. Sweat trickled down his forehead. "We have to escape, that's what." Rin scowled, definitely not pleased by the response.

"We need a vehicle" Kaito suggested, coming back to normal "And a heavy one at that. We can't walk about with those _things _wobbling about on the road." At the mention of _things, _his nose scrunched up in disgust and anger.

Len nodded "Yeah." Realizing the vehicle they were hiding behind, a not-so-bright but probable idea formed in the blonde boy's mind. "Maybe" he said, drawing the attention of the other three towards him "We can use this."

"And from where are we supposed to get the keys from, smarty-pants?" Rin irately whispered back.

Len glared at her before explaining "We can only hope this jeep has the keys in it." Glancing at Kaito, he asked "Could you check?"

The basketball star nodded. Luka butted in "You have to be very quiet. According to my theory, the undead are attracted by sound and movement. Don't make too much noise."

Kaito smiled reassuringly before slowly getting up from his crouching possession. Fortunately, the four were on the driving side of the jeep, from where the driving seat could be accessed. Once he was finally up, Kaito peeked beside the jeep to make sure the zombies were at a safe distance. The closest one was about 25 feet away.

Taking a deep breath, Kaito reached over to the door of the jeep, while the other three crossed their fingers, praying for the door to open. When he'd finally found the door handle, the blue-haired teen offer a small prayer before clicking it.

Click.

It opened.

Rin almost squealed with delight but her twin put a restraining hand on her mouth, glaring at her to keep shut. It was only after she nodded that he let go. Luka pumped her fist into the air and did a small happy dance as the twins looked on weirdly. Kaito grinned like an idiot before deciding to check on the zombies. He peeked from behind the car.

His blood ran cold.

They were alert. All of them seemed to be motionless as they turned their heads here and there, seemingly searching for something – or someone. Kaito motioned the other three to remain quiet as they waited with bated breaths, not daring to move. All of them covered their mouth with their hands in order to shallow their breathing.

After a good two to three minutes, the zombies resumed their moaning and limping about.

Opening the door as quietly as he could, Kaito peered inside, feeling a weight lifted of his shoulders when he saw the keys in ignition. Thanking God, he turned towards his companions and whispered "The keys are in there."

Rin grinned widely, Len mopped the sweat of his forehead and Luka joined her hands together to offer a short prayer to the almighty. As softly as he could, Kaito crawled and slipped into the driver's seat while Len, Rin and Luka opened the passenger door and began filing in immediately.

Alas, as the old quote goes "An extreme dose of good luck always has a side effect of bad luck."

And what was the bad luck in this case? The emergency alarm went off.

"HURRY!" Kaito yelled at the top of his voice, which was almost drowned out by the continuous beeping of the red alarm. "Alert! Alert!" said a mechanical and monotonous voice of a woman. Luka scrambled into the passenger seat of the jeep followed by the twins. The zombies had already begun their journey towards them.

"Please save us, please save us" Rin chanted, her hands clasped over her ears to drown the shrill beeping. Luka, taking the role of the older sister, embraced the girl warmly.

"S**t!" Len cursed, yanking on the door to close "It's stuck!"

Kaito face palmed "You can't be serious . . . ."

The zombies were very close now, only ten feet away. Luka crossed over to where Len was sitting, trying to shut the door. However, it was no use. It was stubbornly jammed.

Kaito, who was watching from the rearview mirror, muttered "We have no choice." Without glancing back, he shouted "Luka, Len, sit tightly towards the left." The two obliged, leaving the door open. Gearing up, Kaito said "Here we go" before going on full throttle.

The jeep "vroomed" to life as it started, the headlights switching on. The zombies who'd reached the huge vehicle by now were crushed and pushed away by the automobile driven by the former basketball star. He still hadn't forgotten about how the wretched monsters had caused his beloved Meiko's death and swore to kill each of them he could kill.

As the jeep drove on in the garage, all approaching zombies either met their end under its treacherous wheels or were thrown away by the raging car. Catching a reflection of Kaito in the mirror, Rin was a bit scared when she saw the infuriated expression on his face but could do nothing about it. She, Len and Luka were still huddled to the extreme left as the right door was left hanging open.

The survivors saw the garage doors approaching as the outside sunlit outside world became bigger and bigger by each passing second. However, Len's eyes widened in horror when he noticed something. The exit was too narrow for the jeep, with its door open, to pass through. "Look out!" the blonde screamed as they neared the gate.

"F**k" cursed Kaito as the jeep vroomed on, the door breaking off with a loud screech from the walls of the exit. The impact struck the whole jeep leaving violent shudder down everyone's spine. All four of them bounced up and their heads hit the wall causing them to emit low yelps. However, the jeep raced on, entering the main roads.

"That was scary" shivered Rin, putting her arms around herself.

"Yeah, but we managed to survive" Luka had a calming smile on her face.

"I hope that's the case every time" Len muttered.

"Is everyone alright?" asked Kaito, his face serious in the rearview mirror. The group was now on the highway, where many zombies, scattered about, were wobbling here and there. Thankfully, the jeep was too fast for their grasps.

"Badly shaken but alive" Len answered. The two girls quickly closed the windows, staring out at the horrid creatures through the black tinted glass. On Len's side, there was no door and he had a clear view of each zombie they passed.

As the group continued driving wherever the straight road led them, Kaito decided it was time for some chit-chat. "So" he drawled, not really sure what to ask "I guess you guys go to high school, judging from your uniforms?"

"Yup" said Rin "Futariboshi High School."

"Oh" was all Kaito replied.

Len, noticing the camera in Luka's hand, asked "What's that for?"

The pinkette caressed it. "This?" she opened it and showed it to the twins "I was recording an important basketball match of our college before those monsters attacked."

"Woah" the blondes said as they saw Kaito perform a slam dunk in the video. Rin looked at the blue-haired man and asked "You were in the basketball team?"

Kaito turned back and smiled. "I was the Captain, precisely."

"That's so cool!" Rin exclaimed, starry-eyed and turned her attention back to the video. The crowds cheered for the blue-haired teen in the video and Kaito felt nostalgic, thinking about his life before the dreadful apocalypse.

Luka noticed a tear drop down his cheek and smiled. Looking out of the window, at the setting sun, she remarked "Looks like it's gonna rain, isn't it?"

The twins were too engrossed watching the video to pay any heed to her words. But the basketball player in front caught the meaning of her words and wiped the tear away with the back of his hand. "Yup" he let a small smile form "It does seem so."

Suddenly, gunshots echoed in the air which snapped everyone out of their reverie. Driving towards the source of the sound, Kaito's blood ran cold. The others in the back seat pressed to the right, not getting a clear view of things. "What is it?" enquired Len.

About 30 feet away, a small group of zombies seemed to be attacking someone. The gunshots were being emitted from the middle of the group. "Someone's getting attacked" replied Kaito.

"What should we do?" Rin asked, the feeling of dread and despair returning in her soul.

"Go on, that's what" replied Kaito, his bangs overshadowing his eyes "The chances of the person not being bitten is very low and-'' But Len had already scrambled out of the car with his dusty staff in hand. "Hey, kid!" Kaito shouted, leaning out of the window "Come back!" But it was of no use. The blonde still raced towards the group.

"I've gotta take care of him" said Rin and before anyone could stop her, she was out of the car too. After a few seconds, Luka got out hesitantly and ran towards the two youngsters. Kaito shot her retreating back an incredulous look but with a sigh, got out as well.

Len had his staff ready to hit when on clear inspection, he saw a woman and her child amidst the horde. The scared lady was shooting the zombies randomly but she was also bitten. The young child, not more than six, was stuck to her mother's skirt, bawling loudly.

The blonde teen swung his staff and brought it crashing down on the head of one zombie, which gave a terrifying groan before collapsing. Black blood pooled out of the wound in its head as it lay motionless on the cemented road.

However, knowing his problems were not over, he swung the stick again on another zombie which was beginning to approach him and with a good two other hits in its spinal cord, it was down as well. Turning around for more competition, the blonde was now faced with only the bitten mother and bawling child.

"Miss-'' he started towards the lady but froze in his tracks when he saw the dead look in her eyes. The gun slowly dropped from her hand as her back stooped and her skin turned to a ghastly grey. A low groan emitted into the back of her throat.

The girl looked up at her and asked "Mommy?"

The zombified lady stared at the child before grabbing her by the color of her dress and biting her. Rin, Luka and Kaito, who were running towards them, stopped as the child uttered a deafening scream. The drops of blood running down her neck fell on Len, who was as still as a statue, having dropped his staff and himself on the ground.

Leaving the nearly dead child on the ground, the zombie rushed towards Len. "LEN!" Rin screamed, snapped out of her trance and rushing towards her brother. However, before the zombie woman could even touch the boy, three bullet wounds made her collapse on the floor, still.

A boy with pink hair was at some distance, the gun in his hand emitting the smoke of gunpowder. He then turned towards the now-zombie child and blew two clean holes in her forehead before she began to stir up.

"Are you guys okay?"


	6. Chapter 5 - The Savior

**~ Author's Note ~**

Len: And we're back.

Rin: Ah! So long since we've done a disclaimer!

Luka: Dear readers, since D.T's too lazy, we'll be doing the disclaimers from now on.

Miku: Why haven't I made an official appearance yet?

Yuuma: In this chapter you will.

Kaito: Could you please do the shout-out, Seeu?

Seeu: Special thanks to Zhane 17, R.J. Niner, Meyyu, Ushinatta Neko, Alice in Madland, Vocaloid Writer, Coolkat 88, Pastel Pixi, 21 Forever N Always, Porky the King, Black White and Superstitious, Multi-Colored Lotus, Pokemon Roars, Akatsuki 05 06, Hana Loid, Crimson Sky Tamer, Imaginary Flower, Dark Irina, Hithoshihayabusa, Tusake 16 and Shino no Mikaga no Kudotaka.

Miku: Don't forget the anonymous readers.

Yuki: Keep on reading and reviewing! :D

**Ch. 5 – The Savior **

Yuuma ventured forward as the zombie child landed with a thud on the ground, putting his newly found-gun in the pocket of his khaki pants. The blonde boy he'd just saved was staring up at him with frightened blue eyes, as if the pink-haired boy was a monster. But in fact, he did feel like one.

Averting his eyes from the dead child, the skateboarder felt guilt well up in his heart. He had killed a zombie child – thus saving the life of that blonde boy – so there's nothing he should feel guilty about, right? Shaking the disturbing thoughts away, he walked towards the other, asking "Are you guys okay?"

It was the pink-haired girl who replied. "Yes, we are" she had a smile on her face "Thank you for saving us."

Yuuma shook his head. "Couldn't see more folks turn into zombies."

The blonde girl – who looked similar to the blonde boy – ran towards him with a shout of "Len!" Taking his slightly blood-speckled face in her hands, she asked "Are you okay?"

Len forced a smile on his face. "Y-Yes."

"Thank you for saving my brother" said the girl, bowing in front of Yuuma. The pinkette acknowledged her with a nod.

Suddenly, the groan of nearby zombies disrupted the teens. "Guys!" Kaito spoke, running towards the car "We gotta get out of here, fast!"

Everyone nodded and Yuuma asked "You guys have a car?"

"A stolen one" grinned Rin.

"Do you think you could stop at the Leopold café? It's just round the corner" he asked, picking up the dead woman's gun to see if it contained any bullets. Taking out three, he answered his newly met companion's questioning gazes "My friend must be waiting for me."

"There're two of you?" asked Kaito "How did you guys manage to survive so far?"

"Skill and a bit of luck, I guess" Yuuma said, walking towards the car with them.

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"Where is that boy?!" Seeu asked aloud, pacing the dining area of the earlier café they'd stopped at. "What's taking him so long?!" She glanced at her watch "It's already been two hours." Sitting down next to the bag of supplies she'd gathered, anxiety invaded her mind.

_What if he's in trouble? _she gulped as distressing thoughts entered her mind, _It's probable he's been attacked by them. But if that's so, _her eyes widened in fear, _does that mean . . . . . I'm alone now? _She clutched her head as sweat dripped down her forehead. "No, that can't be" she muttered "He can't die. Yuuma's alive, he's alive, Seeu, he's alive. You're just hyperventila-''

A murderous groan snapped her out of her thoughts. Covering her mouth with both her hands, she looked around the room, panicking. It was totally empty as the sun was setting, throwing orange glows into the café room. Tiptoeing towards the windows, she cautiously lifted the shutters and peeked out.

And almost screamed.

Seeu had always felt proud at being one of the top students in the whole of Saitama, possibly even Japan. Her high intellect was a source of satisfaction for her despite some extreme bullying she had to face as a nerd in middle-school. But she'd always called those muggers conceited pigs who thought they were godly and great for their looks while they were just a bunch of brainless buffoons.

But there had never been a single moment in her life when she'd felt prouder of her intellect than currently. Not at the national quiz competition, not at being congratulated by the Prime minister for being one of the Saitama board toppers nor any other time. For it was only her intellect and presence of mind that prevented her from screaming now.

The 7-feet monster she and Yuuma had encountered during the day was currently outside the café, looking about it with a confused expression. Due to the big brute's bandaged face she couldn't see his face but his red eyes glowed like hot coal as they momentarily fluttered to her window.

Carefully dropping the shutters, she nimbly walked, switching off all the lights and hiding her supplies in one of the numerous cupboards. As the huge monsters thundering footsteps seemed to be closer and closer, her heart felt like it would thump out of her chest. She incessantly wiped sweat off her forehead, her eyes darting around for a good spot to hide.

The door broke down and the brutish beast entered the room, offering a searching glance around the café. From her hiding place, the bespectacled teenager crossed her fingers, praying to God so much that she wouldn't have to go to the shrine for 2 months.

As it entered, the upper area of the walls surrounding the door broke down in order to allow the beast entry space. The footsteps seemed to thump right outside her ears, an atmosphere of extreme fear and terror devouring her. Even when she and Defoko had been cramped up in that locker at school, she hadn't felt _this _terrified.

Maybe because that time she wasn't alone.

The giant figure groaned in irritation after finding no sign of anyone. In anger, it knocked down all of the crockery in the café which caused high-pitched creaks as they crashed against the marble floor. Seeu's grip on her mouth tightened as tears prickled in the corners of her eyes. She huddled more tightly, praying for the beast to go away.

Suddenly, there was a squeak. A tiny mouse, disturbed by the crash of crockery, flitted against the floor swiftly, out of its hiding place. Though it was fast, the 7-feet high beast had already seen it. The zombie beast's footsteps made the ground shake lit it did when there was a earthquake and Seeu's chest hurt from her heart's rapid beating.

Suddenly, the gray mouse went over the blonde girl's feet and her eyes widened in terror when she heard the beast's footsteps getting closer and closer. Scooting against her hiding place, she crossed her fingers knowing that if he even saw a glimpse of her, she'd be dead meat. _Yuuma, please hurry up . . . . . . ._

The monster was too busy chasing after the little mouse and Seeu watched as it crashed into the kitchen after the rodent. Peeking out from inside the large oven where she was hiding, she watched intently as the monster's figure disappeared into the kitchen, its footsteps fading along with it.

The bespectacled girl hurriedly crawled out of the oven, knowing she had to hurry if she wanted to live. There was no guarantee the brute wasn't returning and if he did, she may not be so lucky this time. She crawled swiftly but silently against the floor, over to the cupboard where she'd hidden her supplies. Opening the wooden furniture, she quickly pulled out the white grocery bag and somehow managed to stand on her wobbly legs.

However, her mental triumph was interrupted with the now familiar groan which burst out of the kitchen. Swiftly turning towards the direction of the roar, her blood ran cold when she saw the monster's shadow appear in the doorway. It was returning. She had to hurry.

Running as fast as her shaking legs would take her, she dashed out of the café and into the main road which was slowly filling up with the other zombies. The blonde stopped dead in her tracks, confused as to her next action. From behind her came the hideous monster's groans while in front of her was a slowly increasing zombie horde.

_What next? What should I do? _Panicked thoughts were overwhelming her usual calm reasoning as her gaze flitted in between her two approaching dooms. _Front? Or back? _Her eyes shifted, looking for some other alternative. _Front? Or back? Front . . . . . or back? Front or back? Front or back? Front or back?!_

_SIDE! _She decided, bolting right into the other side of the main road just as the monster trotted out of the café. Catching sight of the running girl, it threw back its head and uttered an animalistic groan as it chased after her. Somehow, the big brute seemed to have scared off the other zombies as they retreated in the opposite direction.

Seeu kept on running, not daring to look back. Her heart thumped violently against her ribcage, threatening to pop put. Her legs were shaking so violently that she felt they'd break off anytime now. But the blonde kept on running, her blue eyes fixed straight ahead as the monster neared closer and closer.

Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for her survival.

"Seeu!" Yuuma screamed as the car approached the girl at an ungodly speed. With Len's help, he leaned out of the car, his hand outstretched. "Grab it!" he shouted, just as they were near the blonde.

Flicking out her arm, the pink-haired boy grabbed the bespectacled girl and hauled her inside the car as they crashed into the twins beside.

"What the f**k is that thing?!" Kaito exclaimed, blue eyes wide at the screaming monster they were crossing. Fortunately, the big brute was too slow to chase a good car.

"That's something even I don't know" Seeu panted.

"Are you alright?" asked Luka worriedly from the front passenger seat.

Seeu nodded, leaning comfortably against the back seat of the car. _For now, maybe I can relax. _Yuuma took the bag from Seeu and said "By the way, I got a few weapons." The blonde just nodded.

"Are you really okay?" asked Rin, peering across Len and Yuuma. She was pressed against the present car door.

Seeu nodded again. "Just a bit exhausted" she muttered.

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The two were cornered, that was for sure. A large horde of the undead was currently cornering the two girls from both sides, their groans nearing every second. With her back pressed to the wall, a brunette girl was staring at them with half-frightened, half-curious eyes. _Did the bacterium really have such a devastating effect on them?_

"Yuki" her older companion whispered, stepping protectively in front of the girl. Taking out two revolvers, she turned back "Don't move." And with those two words, she was off, charging at the horde.

As her older companion's figure glided towards the zombies, strategically shooting at them and dodging them at the same time, Yuki could not help but marvel. She felt immense relief flow through her when she realized that they would survive.

Even though she'd seen her companion fighting many times, her skillful blows had never been unleashed to their full potential. But now, as the tealette killed the zombies with swift, graceful movements, their dark blood creating rain showers around her, the 9-year old stood mesmerized.

Before a terrible ache began to well up in her heart.

"Ah!" Yuki exclaimed, distracting Miku for a second. The brunette was lying on her knees on the ground, clutching her heart. The tealette barely dodged a zombie as she sent its head flying off. Noticing only 5 to 6 zombies remaining, she quickly shot their brains out and rushed over to her young companion.

Leaning down towards the still girl, the tealette took out a vial from her bag. The purple liquid in the vial jiggled as she forced open the cork. "It's the side effects, isn't it?" she asked, feeding the liquid to the younger girl.

Yuki nodded as she swallowed the purple medicine, a bitter sensation enveloping her tongue. After a few seconds, the painful ache in her heart faded away and she got up. "I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?" the older girl asked, raising an eyebrow. She had an anxious look on her face.

"Yeah" Yuki smiled. "Besides, we have to reach headquarters as soon as we can because I don't think there is gonna be any backup sent to help us."

The tealette pursed her lips as she nodded. Offering a reassuring hand to Yuki, she said "Don't worry, I'm gonna protect you Yuki. I'll make sure you reach headquarters safe and sound. Even if it requires my death."

Yuki smiled at her companion. "Thanks, Miku." And with a final smile, the two girls rushed off into the twilight.

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The car stopped at a nearby petrol station and motel, the lights turning off as soon as it stopped. The sun had already set and now the sky was covered with a beautiful canopy of stars, which strangely contradicted the chaotic events. First, Kaito peeked out to scan if the area was okay and only after full assurance he stepped out, gesturing the others that it was safe out as well.

Jumping out of the car, Rin stretched and sighed. "Sitting still does kill the shoulders."

Kaito walked towards one of the petrol refills and was in the act of taking out a pipe when Seeu stopped him. "Don't fill it now" the bespectacled girl said "the whirring noise may attract the zombies and I'm sure everyone agrees that we're too tired to travel more for the night."

Staring at the pipe in his hands, he shrugged and placed it back. "I guess you're right."

"Let's just crash into the motel for now" Yuuma yawned "I feel dead tired."

As the group went inside the motel, Seeu made sure to double lock the doors. Then, setting the bag of supplies she'd brought down on a table, she asked "Who can cook?'

Luka was the only one who raised her hand first but then Len and Yuuma sheepishly followed. "I can only make soup and curry rice" murmured a blushing Len.

"You cook?" Seeu raised an amused eyebrow at Yuuma.

The pinkette glared at her before retorting "Got a problem?"

"All right" Luka clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention "I, Len and Yuuma will go prepare something in the kitchen – most probably there's one – while the rest of you search for some supplies." Everyone agreed and went off on their respective duties.

It was only at night when most of them were nodding to sleep; Len lay awake with his eyes wide open. He stared at a sleeping Rin who was beside him and fondly smiled at her as he tucked a fringe of her hair behind her ear. Then slowly getting up as to not wake anyone up, he climbed up the stairs to the roof of the motel.

When the blonde teen opened the door, he was a bit startled to see Yuuma up there, smoking blissfully. He was about to sneak off when the pinkette said "Still afraid of me?"

Len almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the other boy speak. Walking hesitantly towards him, he muttered "No, I'm not." Looking down from the railing, Len almost screamed when he saw zombies near the petrol pump.

It was only after Yuuma clamped a hand to his mouth that he obliged. "Do you wanna attract them to us?" the pinkette said, a bit annoyed. Then, softening his tone, he spoke again "They're only attracted to sound, you know. They can't see."

"I know" Len murmured in reply. There was silence between the two boys for a few minutes before the blonde spoke up again "Is-Is that Seeu girl your . . . . . . you know . . . . . . girlfriend?"

Yuuma almost burst out laughing but contented himself with an amused smirk. "Naw" he replied, puffing out a few wisps "I didn't even know her before this s**t started." Then eyeing Len, he asked "What makes you think so?"

"Well" Len scratched his cheek "You were quite brave when you saved her, you know. I never thought strangers would do that much for each other."

"I'm not that cruel you know" was all the other replied.

"No, that's not what I meant!" Len waved his hands, a bit bashful. "I don't know how to explain it . . . . . ." his voice trailed off. The unnerving silence settled upon them again. The blonde raised his head and asked "How do you think this . . . this . . . . you know, apocalypse started?"

Yuuma seemed to think for a while before replying. "I really don't know but if I had to guess maybe some secret experiment gone wrong?"

Len smirked. "You really watch too many fictional shows."

Yuuma smirked back. "I know it's somewhat ironical but back in middle school, _Resident Evil _and _High school of the Dead _was all I used to live on."

"I think we should go and take a wink" Len said, yawning "We need to be fresh and ready in the morning."

"You're right" Yuuma agreed as he smashed the cigarette he was smoking earlier.

As the two boys returned downstairs they smiled at each other before going back to sleep. "Good night, Len."

"Good night, Yuuma."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is not good" Kaito muttered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead "This is not good at all."

"What's the matter?" asked Luka as she stooped down next to him. At 9:00 a.m the next morning, the group had left off after a hearty breakfast and had been driving for a good two hours until they had reached another part of the city. However, their car had broken down in some remote alley with a dead end and the oldest teens were futilely trying to fix the metallic junk.

"The engine's dead" Kaito said, staring at the open bonnet of the car.

"Oh, great!" Rin slapped her forehead. Throwing her arms in exasperation, she exclaimed "Just what we needed!"

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do?" Seeu asked, her throat suddenly turning dry. Sure, she was a genius but she wasn't experienced with cars. As she looked over Luka's shoulder at the heated engine, she backed away in fear due to its complicated system.

"Why the f**k does s**t have to happen to us?!" Rin cussed, pacing up and down "If only-''

"Shh" Yuuma said, raising a hand to silence the agitated blonde.

"Now what the f**k is your problem?!" Rin walked towards him, more annoyed.

"Wait" Len said as his eyes widened "Can you guys hear something?"

Luka cocked her head. "Now that you mention it" she turned to Len "Yes."

"I hear it too" muttered Kaito. "They're-''

"-zombie groans" Seeu finished for him when she saw a horde appearing at the corner of the alley. Everyone was left wide-eyed as the zombies slowly but surely made their way over to them. The old, broken-down houses surrounding them wasn't gonna help and neither was the brick wall behind them be of any aid. Moreover, there was no escape alley.

The group of six huddled together, backing up slowly against a worn-out brick wall as the deformed creatures – 'zombies' in teenage words – approached them slowly, making sickening moaning noises. Green, acid-like saliva dripped out of their cavern-like mouths, spreading over black, decaying teeth. Dirty, maroon-blood flowed out of heir pupil-less eyes – which resembled black, sunken holes – in small streams. Their rotting flesh stunk worse than a whole coffin of full of dead rats and the teens had a hard time trying NOT to puke.

_At this rate, _Len thought, pushing the sleeve of his school blazer in front of his nose to block out the revolting stench, _We're gonna get eaten soon!_

And he was right for the zombies approached the teenagers slowly but surely, at a distance of only 15 – no, 14 feet now.

Warm tears began dripping out of Seeu's eyes as she hugged herself tightly, trying not to cry. _You're a student of North Point Academy! _she scolded herself, caressing the crest of her school on the red blazer _Think, Seeu, think! YOU HAVE TO ESCAPE! You're a genius! THINK!_

Kaito gnawed on his lower lip, sweat running down and soaking the sleeveless, blue jersey of his college's basketball team. "They're getting closer" he whispered to Luka, but was appalled when he saw what she was doing. "How can you still video record at a time like this?!"

Luka finally looked up from her camera and matter-of-factly replied "If we survive, we're gonna be heroes and this is gonna be a YouTube hit! Even if we don't, at least people will remember us as legends."

Kaito face palmed. He knew it was futile to argue with a member of the newspaper club.

Rin grabbed her twin brother's shirt, tears finally beginning to stream down those blue orbs. "Len" she whispered in a hopeless voice "Are we gonna die?"

Len turned to stare at her, in time to see the hopeless and despair-filled eyes of his sister. The always energetic and cheerful Rin looked so . . . . so . . . . bleak and ready-to-die-now. "Rin" Len whispered, hugging her tightly. If they were supposed to die, at least they would die together.

"Woah!" Yuuma's voice broke through the troubled conscience of the five others and they looked just in time to see a figure with immensely long teal hair literally fall down from the sky as she raced her way towards them, attempting to break through the zombie horde.

"Is she insane?!" Yuuma exclaimed as everyone's eyes rooted to her figure which held two revolvers in hand. She was approaching them at a lethal, almost inhuman speed as she stretched out her arms, guns in hand and began expertly shooting at the deformed monsters.

Len and the others watched in awe as the young girl fought the numerous horde of zombies single-handedly. However, even with her fatal strength and agility, the zombies just kept on coming and coming. The regained hope slowly started to fade away as they realized she was running out of bullets.

"Shit" Len cursed under her breath. Once empty, the tealette threw her revolvers away and quickly took out two shotguns from her backpack. She began rapidly shooting and kicking at the zombies at a ruthless pace. She was perfectly maneuvering her body to dodge every single bite they offered while managing to land a kick on their faces.

"Who is she?" Rin whispered, unable to take her eyes off the graceful hunter. Luka began videotaping once again.

"More importantly" Kaito asked, a serious expression on his face "What is she?"

The girl, seemingly oblivious to the stares of the gaping teenagers, threw of her empty shotguns as she faced the last zombie. It ran towards with an animalistic roar, its decaying teeth bared as the crowd of teenagers watched with bated breath, fearing for her life. Finally, Len couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed a metal pole and with a loud yell, ran towards the monster.

"LENNY!" Rin screamed hoarsely but he was already out of her reach. Kaito held her back, knowing it was over for the blonde boy. The tealette stared in shock when at him when Len hit the zombie hard on the back of his head. But instead of falling, the monster faced Len and grabbed his collar.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Rin screamed, desperately trying to push Kaito away who held on to her as tightly as she could. Even Luka almost dropped her camera but before it could fall, the safety harness left it hanging off her arm.

Len screamed as the monster grabbed and fell on him but before it could sink its decaying teeth into the boy's soft flesh, the tealette jumped on its back and pulled its head off with inhuman strength.

Len crawled away towards Rin, who was finally out of Kaito's grasp, and hugged his sister tightly, scarred by the horror that he'd just faced. Miku stood silently, staring at the headless body of the zombie and then at her bloody clothes. She walked towards the shivering group and spoke in a cold, metallic voice:

"Miku Hatsune, special agent of S.T.A.R.S and I-screw it. Since I don't beat around the bush, I'll tell you straight out. The world, as you knew it, has been infected by a bacterium that turns humans into deformed, undead creatures which spread the infection by biting. Or in your words, zombies. You can either accompany me to my headquarters and survive or die here stupidly fighting against the undead army." Then she tilted her head and smiled. "The choice is yours."


End file.
